mikhail baryshnikov

This is one for the home library. There’s nothing quite like seeing this particular Nutcracker performance–after all–it’s Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, along with ABT members, dancing one of the most famous ballets of all time. The Blu-ray quality and remastering make it a much better viewing than it would be otherwise, given the fact that this was way back in the late 70’s.

Sets are a bit dated and the film quality isn’t perfect, but this is a real treasure anyway. The choreography is lovely and the dancing sublime. I had seen this version when it first came on TV and remember thinking how absolutely delicate Kirkland was as the Sugar Plum, and Barishnikov is always impressive.

I hadn’t seen this version since then, and it was really interesting to see how much choreography has changed over the years. The execution here is clean and sure, and while the lifts and solos may not be as technically complex as most modern-day versions, it’s still a joy to watch.

Today I’d like to introduce our newest contributor–Risa Gary Kaplowitz. She’ll be doing a monthly column for 4dancers, and today we begin with a bit of her “back story” so you can get to know her a bit…

by Risa Gary Kaplowitz

It’s a wonderful thing to realize how lucky you are. I don’t mean the gratuitous “grateful” we all read on Facebook posts when a “friend” gloats about one thing or another and then says, “So blessed!” Nope. I mean how great it feels to acknowledge the really big decision or moment of good fortune without which your life would be completely different.

I had such a realization a few months ago when I attended the 90th birthday celebration for Tensia Fonseca, Artistic Director of Maryland Youth Ballet. It was she who started the now nationally recognized school and youth company almost 50 years ago in the barre-lined basement of her cozy suburban home.

I came to what at that time was called, Maryland School of the Ballet when I was three years old. My mom had taken me to my first ballet class at the local recreation center where Mrs. Fonseca’s business partner at the time, Roy Gean, was teaching pre-ballet. After class, he told my mom that I showed promise and asked if she would bring me to their newly built one room studio on St. Elmo Ave. in Bethesda.

The rest of my life can be traced back to the moment my mom said, “Yes.”

1. What is your teaching philosophy and who has it been influenced by?

This is a question one can write entire book on, but below is snap shot of my philosophy. Also, I have had many great teachers in my life including books, artists from other professions, and life’s circumstances (good and bad), but here is a list of people from my professional ballet life that have mostly influenced my teaching: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Irina Kolpakova, Elena Tchernichova, Christina Bernal, Nancy Bielski and Julio Horvath-who created Gyrotonics.

Susan Jaffe

I am very much focused, when teaching a ballet class, on correct placement, correct use of turn out, breadth, coordination of the arms and head and legs, using the oppositional forces within a step, i.e. every force has an equal and opposite force going in the opposite direction within the body. For example, to releve´ the dancer must push down into the floor through the legs to rise up to pointe. Secondly, it is important that the dancer takes all of these skills and transforms them into a movement quality with the understanding of the use of dynamic, musicality, amplitude, and of course, the heart, which is the source that allows a dancer freedom and genuine expression.

At the beginning a dancer needs to understand how to stand up correctly. This includes not only the proper placement of the torso, arms, feet, head and legs, the correct use of turn out, and the correct coordination, but also where to direct ones energy and focus while executing a step. This is a very sophisticated understanding of the body and requires much will and focus to acquire. Then as the dancer progresses, those same ideas apply when s/he is moving through space, which requires added strength, skill and application of those same principals.

I try to teach all of this within the appropriate stages and levels of maturity of a young dancer’s training. Each level can be taken to higher levels of understanding and sophistication that equals their abilities. I also try to be as honest, but as positive and reassuring as I can. It is important for a dancer to know what they need to work on, but it is equally important how a dancer approaches their work and how they feel about themselves while they work. If they are implementing their corrections with the joy and curiosity of learning, then they will improve much faster than if they go into habits of self-flagellation. My quest is to empower the dancer with their-own confidence, curiosity, self- exploration and passion to learn and improve.

2. What is your best advice for a dancer who wants to become a professional?

To become educated about your art whether it is in or out of class. It is important to know dance history, see the greats (past and present) in the profession in videos or movies, go to museums, listen to great music, and read literature. It is also important to get to know yourself on a deep level and understand what is beautiful and horrible about humanity. Never stop trying to learn as much as you can about you, and it. Then you will have the possibility to become a professional that can transform pure movement into genuine inspiration. You should not aim to be a technical machine; a true dancer is guided by their heart and soul to speak a language that is deep, informed, and inspired. That is where the real art of ballet lies. Aim for that.

Susan Jaffe rehearsing "Lilac Garden", Photo: Paul B. Goode

3. How has your dance career informed and impacted your teaching?

Everything that I have done in my life has impacted my teaching. It takes many, many years to understand this art form and what makes it come alive. But, while I was dancing I reinvented my approach to technique several times throughout my career. That has informed me a great deal about how long it takes to change a habit or to implement a new idea. It takes tremendous patience and perseverance and I am able to support a dancer through a change because I lived it myself.

4. What was it like to leave the stage and start teaching in the classroom?

When I left the stage, I was ready to go, so teaching was a nice way to give back to the art form that I have loved all my life. That is the way dance continues on, and it seemed like the most natural thing to do for me.

5. What will you miss about teaching at Princeton Dance & Theater Studio and what are you looking forward to in your new role as ballet mistress at ABT?

The thing I will miss most from my school is my students and the lovely families that came together as a result of opening the school.

What I am looking forward to in working at ABT is being able to share what I have learned on a more sophisticated level (now we are getting into roles and dramaturgy. Yeah!) to the dancers that are going out there and performing those roles. I already started working with them last spring and it has been a real joy. I look forward to more of it.

Susan Jaffe

BIO: Declared by the New York Times as “America’s Quintessential American Ballerina” Susan Jaffe danced as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre for 20 years. Prominent in the international dance scene as well, her European engagements included performances with The Royal Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet, The Munich State Opera Ballet, La Scala Ballet in Milan, The Vienna State Opera Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Swedish Ballet, and The English National Ballet.

Ms. Jaffe’s versatility as a dancer allowed her to tackle a large range of choreographic works. This not only included her acclaimed interpretations of the classics like Swan Lake but also the dramatic works of John Cranko, Anthony Tudor, Agnes DeMille and Kenneth MacMillian. She also worked with and danced the works of many prominent choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Lar Lubovitch, Nacho Duato and Roland, Petit, David Parsons, Mark Morris, Merce Cunningham, Ronald Hynd, Frederick Ashton, Ulysses Dove and Lynn Taylor Corbett.

In 2003, one year after her retirement from the stage, Ms. Jaffe co-founded the Princeton Dance & Theatre Studio in Princeton, New Jersey where she enjoys passing on the wealth of her knowledge to her dance students. Along with teaching for American Ballet Theatre and giving corporate lectures for Duke Corporate Education, Ms. Jaffe has expanded into choreography. Her choreographic achievements to date include “The Nutcracker” “Pop Sonata” “Velez Pas de Deux” “Sleeping Beauty Act lll” “Raymonda Divertessments” “Novem Pas de Deux” “Ballet Studies”, “Tarantella”, “Royenne”, “UnCaged” and the “Cancan.” She also wrote a children’s book, “Becoming a Ballerina” for children ages 7-13.

Ms. Jaffe has recently been named Ballet Mistress at American Ballet Theatre; a position she will fulfill in October of 2010.

David Hunter from Ballet for Men and Henrik Lamark from Tights and Tiaras are joining me in a venture called Pas de Trois. On that site we will be posting a question each week, which we will then each answer on our blogs–a few days apart. We’d like to encourage members of the dance community (as well as those just interested in dance) to join us in these discussions by leaving a comment with their ideas either on the blog or on Pas de Trois.

This week, for our first question we decided to share our favorite dancer…

Suzanne Farrell

When I think of the word “ballerina” there is one image that immediately comes to mind: Suzanne Farrell. Growing up when I did, she was the most inspiring figure in classical ballet to me. Never had I seen someone so fragile looking that was so strong and beautiful.

It can be difficult to say who your favorite dancer is. There are many people who influenced me, or impacted me in one way or another. Gelsey Kirkland was a little whirlwind with boundless energy and a sprightly presence. Mikhail Baryshnikov blew me away with his sheer power and Fred Astaire had a simple grace that is unmatched, even today. Yet you do tend to gravitate toward someone in particular, and for me, it was Suzanne.

I can recall feeling mesmerized when I watched her dance. She seemed as though she were in a trance–that the music just took her and posessed her, making her move at its will. All arms and legs, she was tall, willowy and to me–the perfect vision of a ballerina.

When I think of Antony Tudor, his ballet, The Leaves are Fadingimmediately springs to mind. Tudor had an enormous impact on the ballet world when I was growing up, and is still well-known throughout the dance world for his choreography. I always felt that Tudor’s work was informed by our collective human psyche. It impacts you.

One of the most famous quotes about Tudor’s work comes from none other than Mikhail Baryshnikov who said, “We do Tudor’s ballets because we must. Tudor’s work is our conscience.”

This week’s 10 Questions With… features David Hunter, Owner and Editor of Ballet for Men. Take a closer look at a great resource for guys in ballet…and what went on behind the scenes before it came to the web…

My name is David Hunter, I’m 28 years old and a graduate student, working on a Masters in Teaching. I plan to teach high school social studies or english, and dance. I’ve always loved dance, but it wasn’t until I was 25 that I took an actual dance class. For some reason I never realized how much I actually loved to dance.

As a male, it was hard for me to get started. I couldn’t find many good resources for what I needed to know as a beginner. I wasn’t aware of all the opportunities that men had in ballet. I started late, but I currently dance for a pre-professional company who provides me with a scholarship for all of my classes. I take ballet classes 6 or 7 days a week and get to perform for thousands of people in 2 feature length ballets per year and various other festivals and performances.

1. What made you create this dance blog?

I started taking ballet when I was 25, and I didn’t really know anyone else who was into ballet. So finding out what I needed to know to get started was really hard. Most of the information I could find was geared toward women. I was always surprised that there was never more information for males who are interested in dance. Ballet has been great for me, and I want that type of experience to be available to everyone interested. I want my blog to help provide information to make it easier for guys to get into dance.

2. What are the top three pieces of advice you have for other dance bloggers?

1) Provide what you want. I ask for a lot of advice and suggestions, and I definitely try to provide what I think readers will want, but that advice isn’t always there. Most of the time I think about what I wish was there. I ask, “what information or resources should be available?” If I am interested in it, chances are someone else is probably interested too.

2) Do more than you think you have time to do. I always feel like I don’t have time to do anymore. But then I force myself to take on something else, and I end up finding time to do it. Having a blog requires you to keep working on making it better and coming up with new and interesting things. This takes up more and more time, but it also pays off more and more.

3) It is all a process. Rarely does anything pay off right away. It is important to recognize goals in the long term and think about the small steps that lead up to those goals. You won’t find more readers overnight, but you can do a little bit everyday to help build a following over a few months or even years.

3. What is your organizational routine when it comes to blogging (for example, do you research one day and write the next….do you post every day…etc.)?

I usually spend a while coming up with an idea for a post before I even do any work with it. I have a list of topics I want to cover. I choose one of those topics either based on what I think is important information for beginners that isn’t out there or if there is something that has been on my mind for a while. I spend more time researching and organizing the topic than I spend actually writing the post. I feel like this is really helpful for me, and hopefully the readers. There are a lot of ideas and information to fit into any one post, so it is helpful to get all those ideas and facts outlined first.

I try to write whenever I can find time. During the school year I’m a full time graduate student, dance and rehearse full time, and work, so I don’t get to update as much as I want. That is something I would like to change. I want to find a way that I can provide something to the readers several times a week, if not every day.

4. What would you say are your blog’s strengths?

BalletForMen.com provides a lot of information that is hard to find in one place, if at all. It is hard to find information for male ballet dancers, so I provide that. Also, I understand what it is like to get started later, so I understand what questions beginners might have. It is also quite personal. The blog provides a personal look at ballet and the guys who do it. This is especially true in the podcasts, but also with some of the dancer interviews we’ve got coming up.

5. Do you have anything new coming up on the horizon?

New podcasts are coming out every week. These are a lot of fun to record, and to listen to. There will be a lot of different perspectives covered on the Ballet For Men podcast. The first run of Ballet For Men t-shirts are getting printed this month. I’m releasing a free e-book for new dancers. I’ve also been talking to different people about contributing to the website. There are a ton of other things I’m working on, but these are what people will see pretty soon.

6. If you had to describe your blog in just five words, what would they be?

Showing guys ballet is awesome.

7. Can you recommend another dance blog?

I really enjoy TheWinger.com. I like being able to read posts by dancers that I also actually see in performances.

8. Who are your all-time favorite dancers?

I’m a fan of Gene Kelly and Mikhail Baryshnikov. I think they both have done amazing things for guys in dance. Angel Corella is also one of my favorites. One of my favorite female dancers is Louise Nadeau. She just retired from Pacific Northwest Ballet at 45 years old. She is a beautiful dancer and a beautiful person. Plus she makes me think that I can dance for many more years.

9. What is your favorite piece of music?

This is tough to choose a favorite, but I think one of my favorites would be the Dancepieces by Philip Glass from In The Upper Room. I saw PNB do Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room when I first started dancing, and it was the first piece that REALLY struck something inside of me. That dance didn’t just touch my heart, it danced with it. Whenever I hear those songs I remember why I love to dance.

10. Tell us something about yourself that may come as a surprise…

I danced in Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty music video. At the time I was living in L.A. and it was before I started taking ballet. I used to like to break dance, so I auditioned for the video. Somehow I got a part, but luckily, I’m a skinny guy behind a lot of bigger dudes, so you can’t find me in the video. But I do have the pay-stub to prove it!